Figure skater Gold apologizes for tweet

November 11, 2013|By Philip Hersh, Tribune reporter

(Twitter)

American figure skater Gracie Gold has apologized for a tweet meant to be an inside joke that could be seen as offensive to Japanese in general and reigning Olympic silver medalist Mao Asada in particular.

Gold removed the tweet from her Twitter account (@GraceEGold) after realizing it could be misinterpreted, according to her agent, Yuki Saegusa of International Management Group.

Upon returning Monday to Los Angeles from Tokyo, where she had finished fourth Saturday behind the victorious Asada in the NHK Trophy, Gold posted two tweets on the matter.

“I am deeply sorry for any unintended offense,” Gold said in her second tweet.

Sunday, Gold tweeted a picture with the hashtags #mao and #asada and the text, “Onry one more sandwrich!”

Gold took that down and replaced it with a tweet reading, “Only one more sandwich!” with the hashtags #mao, #asada and “the ice” and a link to a photo of her and Asada together.

The altered spelling can be perceived as mocking Japanese speakers’ occasional difficulty in pronouncing the English letter “L.”

The words were a reference to a line Asada says while acting in a humorous video created by U.S. ice dancers Maia and Alex Shibutani. The video, titled “THE ICE 2013 — ONE MORE SANDWICH,” was done while Gold was in Japan last summer year to skate in a show Asada headlines called “The Ice.”

An unidentified person with the Twitter handle @vesperteacup posted a link to an image of the deleted tweet with Gold's Twitter name included.

“I have the utmost respect for Japan and it’s people,” Gold wrote in the first tweet Monday. “I love Mao Asada.”

Gold, 18, who recently moved her training base from suburban Chicago to Los Angeles, is favored to earn a spot on the 2014 U.S. Olympic team. She finished second in last season’s U.S. Championships.